Switch device for overhead tracks



Feb. 24, 1925. A. H. MLLER SWITCH DEVICE FOR OVERHEAD TRACKS Filed Sept. 4, 1924 Patented Feb. 24, 1925.

UNI D A5ST tll ES ARTHUR'kHUGrOL MLLER, OFBLANKENESE, NEAR HAMBURGQGER'MANY. i

SWTCH DEVIGE FOR OVERHEAD TRACKS.

.Application led September To all whom t may coince/m:

Be 1t known Vthat '1, fiii'rHUn 'HUGO MLLER, citizen of Germany, residing at Blankenese, near Hamburg, Germany, BismarckstrasseQ, have' `invented certain new and useful#Improvements-in .a Switch Device `for'OverheadTracks, ot which the tollowing is a specilication. i

1n plants tor towing ships or vessels on a water way by a trolley running along an overhead track it is of advantage to provide means to enable the trolley to pass directly on branches of the chain-like track.

By these means the landing of the vessels at the banks and the passing and overtaking or' other ships at suitable overtaking places is essentially facilitated.

The object ot the present invention is to provide means ot this kind.

lith this object in view one part ot the ina-in track forming a switch tongue is resting with its Jfree end slidably on a cross beam suspended from a system oi" carrier wires fastened to poles erected on the banks of the water way. By thus sliding the said switch tongue, which is pivotally connected with its other end to the main track, to one side or the other the first named tree end ot' the tongue coincides with either of the prolongation ot the main track or with the branch track.

At the same time the electric conductor, which is also suspended from the carrier wire system and which is adapted to be disconnected next to the free end of the switch tongue, is also slid to one side together with the tongue so as to make or break contact with either the main conductor or the b lanch conductor as the case may be. In orderl to save special attendants 'tor the switch device the latter can be operated or set from the ship in passing by a suitable shuntiug device.

Fig. l is a diagrammatical view of two main tracks and two branch tracks.

Fig. 2 is a similar view drawn to a larger scale of the switch device.

Fig. 3 is a section drawn to the line of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a section drawn to the line a-t of Fig. 2.

1n the construction shown it is taken that the plant for towing vessels has a main track 1 tor river-up and a main track I1 tor riverdown. The corresponding branch tracks I 1924. Serial N0. 735,933.

and 1I can be shunted to the main tracks by the switch devices a and a and the double switch device or crossing a2. The switch proper L or a is constituted by ya tongue, which is pivotally connectedat' Z) or L reo0 spectively with the main track l or vl1 respectively. The tree end ot the tongue a rests on one of a series et cross beams c, which by the aid of rods (Z are suspended from a. carrier wire system e secured in any suitable manner on the bank ot the water way. By shifting the tongue a or a respectively it can be made to coincide either with the main track l or the branch I (or Il and II respectively). Antitriction rollers g may be provided running on top of the beams c for supporting the tree end oi the tongue a. For operating the switch device shunting devices f of any known construction can be provided, which at a suitable distance are suspended on the wire system and operated by the ship or vessel passing by. The position of the switch tongues can be indicated by signals g as is usual in railway plants. The shunting ot the crossing or double switch tongue a2 is carried out in the same manner as of the switch tongues L or c, the point of crossing being the pivot point of the double tongue, and the two ends are resting slida-bly on cross beams c in a similar manner as is described with regard to the single switch tongue. The shunting ot the double switch may be carried out at the saine time as the single switch tongue.

It remains to be explained that the electric conductors 7L, which are also suspended trom the cross beams c and which are adapted to be interrupted next to the tree ends of the switch tongues, can be shunted in similar manner as the switch tongue a, a and a2, so as to maintain the necessary electric circuit or the passing of the ships .trom the main track to the branch track or vice versa.

I claim;

1. A switch device for overhead tracks comprising a main track and a branch track, a wire system from which the said tracks are suspended, a cross beam also suspended from said wire system, a switch tongue forming part ot' the main track and pivoted thereto with one end. the other end of said switch tongue slidably resting on the cross beam. to coincide either with the main track or the branch track.

2. A switch device for overhead tracks comprising two niain tracks and'two branch tracks, a wire system from which the said tracks are suspended, two cross beams also Suspended from said wire system, a pvotally mounted double switch tongue forming a crossing switch and part of one of the main tracks where it crosses the branch track of the other main track, the ends oi' the said double switch tongue slidabiy resting on said cross-beams to coincide either with the said Inain track or with the said branch track.

3. A switch device for overhead tracks comprising a niain track and a branch track, a wire system from which the said tracks are suspended, a cross beam and a longitudinal electric main conductor, both suspended from said wire system, a branch conductor, the main conductor being adapted to be opened in the vertical plane ofthe said crossbeanl, a. switch tongue forming part of the niain track and pivoted thereto with one end, the other end ot' said switch tongue slidably resting on the cross beam, to coincide either with the main track or the branch track that part of the main conductor adjacentthe switch tongue being connected therewith so as to be adapted to make contact with the branch conductor, when the branch track is shunted on. u

ARTHUR HUGO MULLER. 

